Is the Electra Townie Right for Me? (2022 edition)

May 4, 2022 7:39 AM

I am looking for a new bicycle and I'd love some advice!

I've read the older questions about this but I imagine there have been improvements since then, so I'm asking again.

I am looking for a new bike. My current bike, which I have come to hate, is an extremely heavy Huffy Ironman purchased about 25 years ago. I rarely ride it, but I need to get some exercise and I remember how much I loved biking as a kid. I have 2 goals: ride around my somewhat hilly neighborhood and ride on bike paths. I prefer a step-through.

I found the Electra Townie online and fell in love with the look of it. I am intrigued by the shape that allows you to sit more comfortably. (I am nearing 50, so I anticipate wanting to be gentle on my back.) Now I see they have a similar, less expensive Cruiser which I am curious about.

I plan to go to my local bike shop on Friday to ask questions and hopefully take some test rides but I thought I'd ask the helpful folks here for advice as well.

posted by Biblio to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (16 answers total)

I got my 70 year old dad a townie and he really likes it. Really comfortable to ride but not insubstantial. Electra is owned by Trek and has a decent build quality. Their 7 speed ought to be enough to comfortably cover normal terrain.

(I don't know your goals or your budget, but the Townie has a "Go!" edition that is an e-bike with 60+ miles of range. I have post-exertional fatigue from Covid and the thing that I missed the most about the before times was riding my bike for long distances. I got an e-bike and it has been fantastic. You still get exercise but it helps flatten some of the hills.)
posted by AgentRocket at 7:57 AM on May 4, 2022

How many gears does the version you’re looking at have? I bought a used one a few years back that was only a three speed. I love the riding position but in my hilly neighborhood 3 gears are not enough.
posted by leslies at 8:03 AM on May 4, 2022

Response by poster: I believe it's a 7 speed.
posted by Biblio at 8:08 AM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I have a Townie that I don't ride much anymore. A notable aspect of their "flat-foot" design is that it's almost impossible to stand while pedaling. This may sound like no big thing, but it's surprising how often I've been thwarted by this.
posted by mumkin at 8:20 AM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]

The geometry of the Townie, specifically the slack seat tube and super upright rider position, is not going to be great for hill climbing. I don’t have a recommendation for what to look for, just bear this in mind and do a test ride that includes a hill.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:41 AM on May 4, 2022 [2 favorites]

I had one of these or something similar many years ago and it sucked for anything remotely hilly or trying to go fast at all. It was also fairly heavy. I would consider the e-bike version (I adore my current e-bike) but would look for a lightweight hybrid over this style, unless you are in a completely flat area and just going around on bike paths. You lose a little comfort in the sitting posture but everything else improves.
posted by music for skeletons at 8:51 AM on May 4, 2022

I had a Townie for a few years, and I second the above points about it being terrible uphill -- there's too much weight on the back wheel. I also found that the derailleur went out of alignment if one breathed on it (get an internal gear hub version!), and chains had to be replaced way too often.

Consider a recumbent, perhaps, if you're not interested in an ebike? Similar or better comfort, low gears for hills.
posted by humbug at 9:09 AM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I had a Townie and I LOVED it aesthetically, it was so cute, and it was a nightmare on hills and it weighed....so much. I also hated not being able to stand and pedal (I didn't realize I still had the muscle memory to want to do that). It is ADORABLE but I sold mine because it was simply not rideable for my hilly neighborhood.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 10:14 AM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

My s/o had an Electra cruiser (single speed) and loved it to death, literally, we couldn't get the chain (or its replacement) to stay on anymore after seven years of abuse. But my aluminum 3G cruiser is still going strong.

A test ride is more important than anything though. You'll quickly develop opinions about seat height, seat angle, and handlebar position.
posted by credulous at 11:02 AM on May 4, 2022

I found a Townie fine for hilly up to the Greek Theater at UC Berkeley, but not all the way up to MSRI, if you want to compare to your hills. Twenty-one gears and I used all of them, though.

Also the balance for carrying it up stairs was a little funky especially with panniers. Recumbents similar afaict.

The upright posture made cycling possible again with wrist RSI, and I hear it can do the same for back trouble. It does make upwind and downwind even more distinct though!
posted by clew at 11:22 AM on May 4, 2022

I had a Townie once and I agree, it’s not the best for hills. Right now I ride an Electra loft, which has a more upright ride but is more akin to an old Raleigh Sport than a mountain bike, just a good old-fashioned around-town bicycle. There are not a lot of bikes with that geometry nowadays! There’s a step-thru model.

In general Electras are decent bikes, and not overpriced.
posted by Admiral Viceroy at 12:01 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I have had two Townies, an analog 21-speed and now an electric 8-speed and I have loved both of them. I like being able to put my feet down, I like sitting up higher in traffic (I do a lot of street riding in a fairly dense city), and while it is true that you can’t stand up to pedal on them easily, in 15 years of Townie ownership, I don’t think that’s bothered me a lot. I definitely like the ebike version better for hills, but I absolutely love these bikes. Is it the right bike for you, though? That’s what a test ride is for.
posted by heurtebise at 12:34 PM on May 4, 2022

My wife and I used to have Townies and we loved them except for the fact that you couldn't stand on the pedals so you had to gear down and spin to get up a hill. We moved on to other bikes but now she has an electric Townie (7D) which conveniently solves the hill-climbing problem.
posted by mmoncur at 5:30 PM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I looked at the Townie first but ended up with an Electra Loft. It still has the very upright position like the Townie but is better balanced (isn't as back heavy as the Townie). It's aluminum so it's also lighter than other bikes I was interested in. I can definitely do hills ok when needed and pedaling standing up for extra oomph is totally fine. It's also is available with 21 gears if you want (I just got the seven gears). I did end up buying the small frame even though I was between the small and medium - I would have been leaning more than I wanted with the medium.

Also, fair warning the fenders on the Loft are crap, which is sad cuz I love how they look. But the back one as well as a replacement of it under warranty shook themselves right off the bike with normal riding - they dépend on a tiny piece of metal. All else has been very robust.

I think the Townie may come with coaster brakes depending on the configuration you're choosing so make sure you're picking what you want, if you do go that direction.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 12:21 AM on May 5, 2022

I built many Townies in my bike mechanic days, and my 16 year has been riding theirs for a good 6-ish years. They're lighter than they look. I personally find them perfectly suitable for casual riding, and the low saddle height is really nice for keeping your butt in the saddle and your feet comfortably on the ground when you're at a stop. I'm glad you're planning on test riding, because some people don't like the way the bottom bracket (pedals are attached to the crank arms, the crank arms are attached to the bottom bracket) is so far in front of the saddle (or the saddle is so far behind the bottom bracket). This is what allows the saddle to be low to the ground. It's not bad, it's just slightly unconventional, and some people don't like it.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:15 AM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you all so much! I took my first spin on my brand-new Electra Loft, which turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. I got the cream and brown model. Very lovely! It's super comfy and a nice ride and I think we'll be very happy together.
posted by Biblio at 2:02 PM on May 9, 2022 [3 favorites]